


The Untouchable Sea

by OfficialStarsandGutters



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 09:16:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1852669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfficialStarsandGutters/pseuds/OfficialStarsandGutters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Done for the AU meme; for Charlie, who requested Richard/Severich and merfolk or other aquatic mythical creatures AU.<br/>There are two of them, the creatures, and in form they are not dissimilar to Severin and Sebastian.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Untouchable Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seazu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seazu/gifts).



It's Sebastian who first catches scent of them. He and Severin are chasing shoals of fish; more for the sport of it than the actual need to feed. He pauses when he catches the scent of blood, turning his head back and forth, his gills flaring as he inhales deeply and exhales sharply. It is not a familiar scent, but it is delicious, intoxicating. He glances at Severin and slowly smiles, revealing rows of sharp, pointed teeth.

“Do you smell that?”

“Something is bleeding.” Severin nods.

“Something smells good.”

“That could be anything, Bas.”

“That could be dinner.”

Sebastian is already zooming off in the direction of the scent. Severin sighs, reluctant to follow, but he can't just let his brother get himself in trouble. He follows as fast as he can, slowing when he realises Sebastian has stopped. He draws even with him and sees why.

In front of Sebastian is the source of the bleeding, but it is not what either of them expected. It is not a fish, or a dolphin, or even a turtle. It is not even one of their kind. No, it is something neither Sebastian nor Severin has ever seen before, and they are so captivated that for a moment all they can do is stare.

There are two of them, the creatures, and in form they are not dissimilar to Severin and Sebastian. They have the same torsos and arms, necks and heads, all of the same shape. Their eyes are similar; large and dark, but that's as far as the similarities stretch. Sebastian and Severin have the tails of tiger sharks; with rough grey skin coming up along the sides of their stomach and lower back, a few patches across their chests and up their necks. They are dull and grey, with similar spotted markings. The two new creatures are anything but dull.

Their tails are striped, red and white in a pattern that makes Severin feel like it is moving if he looks at it too long, like the bodies of lionfish. Their tails don't split at the end like his and Sebastian's do, but fan out, translucent skin over a series of thin lines. The sides of their tails have a series of spikes protruding from them, fanning out like little wings, and there are similar spikes along either side of their spines. The one that is closer to them hisses, revealing teeth that are smaller than their own, but look just as sharp. As he does so, more spikes appear from beneath his short, dark hair, running from the sides of his skull down to the top of his gills.

It is the other one that is bleeding. The hissing one has angled his body in front of him, setting himself between the injured and Sebastian. Severin tries to glance past him, curious, but he only shifts, aiming his aggression at Severin this time.

“It's alright,” he says quietly, not expecting the creature to understand him.

“Is that what you tell all your prey before you eat them?”

Once again, Sebastian and Severin are frozen with shock.

“You can speak,” Sebastian eventually says.

“Of course I can speak. If an idiot like you can manage it, it's not much of a challenge.”

Sebastian is too amazed to be offended.

“What are you?”

“What do you think I am? I'm a different species of merman. Poseidon! Do you know nothing?”

“We've never seen another like us.” Sebastian glances at Severin. “Not since our mother died.”

“Spare me the sob story. If you're not going to attack us, which I strongly suggest you don't, then let me through.”

“Why would we attack you?” asks Severin innocently.

“You think I can't see the way you're looking at us. Like we're an appetiser.” The creature shakes his head, securing his hold around the other creature's wrist. “Come along, Richard. We don't have time for this.”

Richard makes a soft sound, his head lolling on his shoulders as though he can't hold it up properly. He looks a lot softer than the other, his face not tightened up with anger. Severin feels something in his chest tighten at the sight of him.

“He's injured,” Severin says.

“You don't say.”

“He can't swim like this.”

“I am aware of that, but we can't afford to stop out in open waters.”

“We have a cave-”

“Hey!” Sebastian cuts across Severin angrily.

“They're not going to attack us, Bastian. You could rest there. Until the blood stops, at least.”

“The smell is going to attract half the ocean.” Sebastian grumbles to himself, but eventually gives in and leads the way back to their dwelling.

It's an underwater cavern, with more space than he and Severin ever use, but it's quiet and they are undisturbed for the most part. Severin helps Sebastian shift the large slab of rock from across the entrance, and then they let the creature take Richard through ahead of them.

“I'm Severin, by the way. This is Sebastian, my brother.”

“I never would have guessed.”

Severin frowns at his cutting tone, but Sebastian laughs. He bats Severin out of the way with his tail and swims past, circling above the creature.

“What's your name, then?”

The creature looks at him for a long moment; those dark eyes assessing.

“Jim,” he says eventually, setting Richard along a rocky shelf. He's collected a handful of seaweed on their journey back, and he uses it now to wrap the wound on Richard's arm.

“Jim and Richard.”

“Yes.”

“And you're brothers, too?”

“Obviously. Twins, just like you.”

“Twins?” Sebastian tilts his head curiously, and while he's been speaking, Severin has been swimming closer so he can watch Richard over Jim's shoulder.

“Yes. Your markings are identical.”

“I thought all of our kind had markings like these.”

“But you said you've never seen any of your kind.”

“I assumed–“

“You assumed wrong. Now be quiet.” Jim turns back to Richard, voice softening. “How's that?”

“Hurts.”

“Obviously it's going to hurt, but it will heal in time. Is that too tight?”

“No. S'fine. Thanks, Jim.”

Jim looks his brother over for a moment, before turning to Sebastian and Severin.

“I don't know how long it's been since we've eaten. He needs nourishment. If either of you injure him, you will suffer for it.”

“Hey, calm down. We wouldn't dare, right Rin?” Severin nods. “How about I come with you. I know the best hunting areas. Rin can stay and keep watch until we get back.”

Jim frowns, obviously not entirely pleased with this idea, but Richard does need nourishment if he's to get his strength back up.

“Fine. If anything happens-”

“It won't,” says Severin quietly, secretly thrilled to be left alone with Richard.

He waits until Sebastian and Jim are out of sight before he swims closer to the little rocky edge. Richard is on his back, the spikes folded down against his skin so they are not bent by the position. His chest rises and falls slowly with each breath, and the striped pattern is barely visible on the skin of his torso. His head rolls towards Severin, those wide, dark eyes watching him.

“Hi,” Severin says, for lack of anything better.

The expression on Richard's face softens; the fear and unease melting away. He smiles warmly at Severin, only revealing the smallest hint of teeth; not baring them defensively the way Jim did.

“Hello. Thank you for letting me rest here.”

“It's fine. Does it hurt?”

“It does, but if Jim says it will get better, then it will. Jim's never wrong.”

“Oh?”

“He's a genius.”

Severin nods, not sure what to say to that. From what he's seen, Jim just seems quick tempered and sharp tongued.

“What happened? Is it a hunting injury, or–?”

“No. The humans did it.”

“Humans?”

“You know. From above the water.”

“There's nothing above the water. Only the other sea.”

“Other sea?”

“The untouchable one.”

“You mean the sky?”

“The what?”

“When you go to the surface and look up; it's everywhere? Usually blue, but sometimes it's grey or red or black, and there's white shapes in it? The clouds. Then there's the big light, which is the sun.”

Severin frowns, wondering how Richard knows so much about this.

“The sky? That's what they call the other sea?”

“Its not a sea, actually. It's not made of water. Jim says it's comprised of gasses, or something. He knows more about it than me. He knows the names of all the stars, and he can pick out pictures in them.”

“Stars?”

“The little lights? When the sky is black?” When Severin doesn't answer, Richard smiles. “When I get better I'll ask Jim to take us up. He'll explain. He can show you all the pictures in the stars.”

“How did the whomins–“

“Humans.”

“Hu-mans.”

“Yes.”

“How did they get you if they're above the water?”

“We used to go up. Jim liked to watch them. He said they were interesting. He even communicated with one of them; that's how he knows so much about the sky.”

“You can communicate with them?”

“Yes.”

“They speak our language?”

“Something similar. It sounds different the way they do, but if you listen long enough, you start to recognise the sounds. It gets easier.”

“Did you ever speak to them?”

Richard shakes his head, looking up, away from Severin.

“I was too afraid. Even though Jim said it was alright, I didn't like it. We weren't meant to interact. That's why we're in the sea and they're up there.”

Severin folds his arms on the shelf, beside Richard's shoulder. He rests his chin on his arms, treading water with his tail. This leaves him on level with Richard, so he can watch his face as he listens to him speak.

“If you didn't speak to them, then why did they hurt you?” he asks.

Richard looks back at him, a frown curling at the corner of his lips. Severin notices for the first time how soft and pink they look compared to his or Sebastian's. He feels a weird sensation in the pit of his stomach; something similar to hunger, but not for food. His lips part and he is so distracted that he almost misses Richard's next words.

“–mentioned Jim to one of the other humans. They didn't want to talk to us like the boy did. They wanted to capture us, to study us, to treat us like we were less than them. I got caught in one of their nets. Jim managed to get me out, but my arm got twisted in in. It dug in so tight that it cut me. Then Jim had to use a sharp stone to cut the net off, but it was so close to me that I got cut a little too. I couldn't move my arm for a while afterwards, and Jim thought it might be paralysed, but then the feeling came back. After that, we just kept swimming. Jim said we had to put as much distance between us and them as possible.”

Richard finishes his story with a little shrug, as if he's shrugging the whole ordeal off, shedding it like a skin he no longer wants to wear. There is a heat building in Severin's chest; a protective anger that he usually only feels for Sebastian. He bares rows of sharp teeth without realising, a low growl rumbling in his chest. It's only Richard's sharp little intake of breath that calms him down; noticing how Richard's body has tensed in fear.

“I won't let anyone hurt you again. Not while you're here. I promise.”

Richard's body relaxes again, and he smiles, curving his hand around Severin's elbow. He notices there are spikes on the back of his hand as well, beneath the knuckles, currently lying flat along the skin.

“Do those do anything?” He traces his finger along the side of one of Richard's spikes, not touching it. “It's just; they look quite fragile.”

“They're venomous.”

Severin blinks, quickly taking his finger away.

“Really?”

Richard giggles, a group of bubbles bursting from his mouth. He nods his head.

“Only the tips. So when I flatten them down like this, they're harmless.”

Severin trails his finger over one of them, hesitant still. As he does so, he notices how small Richard's hand is in comparison to his. He could probably fit Richard's hand so neatly inside his own.

Richard yawns, sending another line of bubbles from his mouth.

“Are you tired?” Severin tilts his head, concern evident in his voice.

“A lil.”

“You should rest.”

“You'll stay with me?”

“Of course.”

“Severin?”

“Yes?”

“Could you maybe...”

“Yes, Richard?”

“Stroke my hair? Jim used to do it when I was little. To help me sleep.”

Severin smiles, reaching up to card his fingers through Richard's dark hair, taking care to avoid the spikes along the sides.

“Of course. Like this?”

“Mmmyes. Thank you.”

“Don't worry. I'll take care of you.”

From now on, Severin thinks. I'll take care of you.

 


End file.
